What do you look for in a reputable Kennel/Breeder? - Page 1

Most times we voice ourselves on the things we don't like about a particular kennel, breeder, ad on the PDB and we state what our experience has been when inquiring or purchasing from such person but we never really touched on the things that we look for that would make us more willing to do business with a particular individual so I thought we'd share the positive rather than the negative this time.

To me my first impression is usually the most important because that sets the stage with me on how I perceive you as a person.  I won't buy from cocky, arrogant type people regardless of how nice their dogs are or how bad I may want one. It's principal I'm not gonna put money in a jerk offs pocket. lol 

So the first initial call, email or meeting tells me if we are gonna do business should you have what I'm looking for. I like someone who's punctual and prompt with returning my call, email and is prepared to answer obvious questions. The more upfront you are telling me the good and the not so good points of a particular dog I'm interested in the better your odds are at selling me a dog.  Be honest with me-do you have what I'm looking for exactly or are you just trying to sell me "something" to make more kennel room?

Show me videos, pictures, pedigree- it's better than just seeing an ad with a picture that might not even be your dog.:- What's the dogs history?  Has the dog been bred, if so how many times-details of pregancy or studding...

If we've agreed on the price this is it- no slipping in hidden fees that's just shady business.  Tell me what the cost is for the dog to leave your doorstep and be on mine; shipping, crate whatever. Explain the paperwork procedure-who will do what and when will I expect to receive them.  The more forthcoming you are the more I will trust and feel comfortable with the transaction.  Oh and the other big thing- Do you accept credit card payment/pay pal cause I'm not sending money or wire transferring nothing to no one. lol Once I've received the dog and you've provided me with some basic info as to feeding habits, food dog is used to eating, living habits-kennel dog or house dog, then I would even be more impressed if you contacted me to see how the dog was working out after a couple days.

Personally, if I am looking to purchase a puppy, I will only look at kennels that train the dogs themselves. I don't believe in sending the dog away to train and title. I want to see breeders who are actively out there training their own dogs. Being that I have german show line, I want to see those dogs trialing in working dog trials and not club trials on club fields, with the usual judges. I want to hear the breeder say, the dog has a conformation title, but isn't ring trained, the trial field is more important. I don't like large kennels with lots of breeding stock. I like small hobby breeders who take the time to plan, away from actively working the dog for the breeding.

But that's just me.

Agar

I guess I am a bit different than you.  I don't care if the person is an arrogant ace.  I am not trying to form a relationship with the breeder.  I am only going to this person because he/she has what I want.  Because they bred the dogs that I like and the dogs pedigrees are sufficient.  I am not in the market for a breeder.  I am out looking for my next greatest dog.  If that means that I have to put up with an ego a few times until I recieve the pup, oh well.  I have to deal with these type of people everyday.  A few times on the phone and maybe once in person, isn't gonna kill me.

I am not saying that if two breeders used the same stud and their females were comparable, that I wouldn't go to the nicer, easier to deal with breeder.  I'm just saying that I will go to the person that has what I want.

Assuming that we don't have to talk about cleanliness, health, etc.  I would just assume that these are a given.

I just don't see the rational behind looking too much into the breeder, when you are buying a dog.  It's like a car dealership.  I spend most of my time on what CAR(dog) I want and not on which dealership has won more awards.  After I do my homework and figure out which car (dog) I want, then I go to reputable dealers that have what I want.  Most of the prices should be comparable, so never go to a "dealer" on price.  Kick the tires and check out the performance ratings.   If they have a crap warranty dept., maybe you should look elsewhere.

The point is, the majority of your search should be for the dog, not the breeder.  I would rather get what I want from a egotistical acehole, than get a mediocre piece of crap from someone that I would love to get to know better.  After two years of farting around with the mediocre piece, try getting your return because the thing sucks and has HD and one nut.    After dealing with this for a bit, putting up with the acehole for a few months will be a breeze.

Thank you for posting your opinions Agar. As a small breeder producing perhaps 1-4 litters per year, its very valuable to me to learn what people want and expect from a breeder. Your thoughts pretty much parallel what I hear regualrly from people contacting me about dogs. One thing that surprised me a few months ago was to learn how many people, when researching a breeders website, is the "Happy Owners" page. Myself, I always go to the "About Us" page first, to learn where they are geographically, how long they have been breeding, whether they train their own dogs or not, what successes they may or may not have had, etc., but apparently most buyers do not. From there I go to the Males and Females pages, then Puppies page, and finally, if I am still interested, to any pix of their facilities. I almost never go to the Happy Owners pages... but thats me, not your average cusomer.  I dont have a facilities page yet, because I dont have an impressive kennel... Yet... Guess that makes me a backyard breeder, eh?.. or a Back Bedroom and downstairs basement  laundy room breeder? ;)

Another point you made that I hear a lot is that so many people do not respond to customer contacts in a timely manner. IMO, if I dont get back to a customer right away, I may lose a valuable sale to a wonderful buyer, deprive my beloved dogs of a fine opportunity, not to mention irritating a current or past customer with a question they need answered right away, be it something simple, like help registering a dog (mine or another one) to an emergency health issue. I often call my past customers just to make sure everything is alright, because I truly CARE about them and the dogs they purchased from me. It really upsets me how many breeders dont follow up for the life of the dog, but most of the people I know who breed feel the same way I do, happily!  Of course I do miss a voice mail or e-mail once in awhile, simply due to the volume of contacts I get every day, and dont usually answer the phone at night, when on the training fields, forget in the morning, but a second contact is rarely missed and I apologise profusely on those occasions.

Sorry about the lack of apostophies in this post, but every time I try to use one, or a forward slash,  my typing magically ends up in the Quick Search box at the bottom of the page... as if my spelling isnt bad enough!

thanks again for the input.

SS

I thought I would first reaction on seeing  this Topic, but it's probably more appropriate for a Topic titled "What do you look for NOW in a Reputable Kennel/Breeder," Cause my Opinion is I think it all depends on what stage you are in, and how much you have learned and how deeply you are into the Breed.

When I first decided that, yes, a German Shepherd Dog was for me, I couldn't find one within 100 miles and ended up buying one from a neighboring states newspaper I bought. When I got talking with her I was so impressed! She said she had titled her last female in obedience and that the 1 year old sire of her puppies was going to be in Search and Rescue just like his daddy. Oh! lucky me. I made the 3 hr trip and never should have bought the puppy as the mother seems so funny looking to me and I then learned she was a long coat and it was the only one left that was not a long coat and I made such a long trip. It took 90 minutes for the puppy to even come into the room with us and was hiding behind the t.v. in the other room, but the lady showed me a picture of her with her last GSD in a ring earning a CD title and all of this was new to me but very impressive. Needless to say, the puppy was taken back after it bit my vet on her first visit and then a trainer I took her to for help. So sad.

So, I searched further and further away and ended up on the INTERNET and bought another female from 3 states away. They would meet me half way so It was only an overnight trip and they were bringing two females for me to choose from. This mama and daddy dog didn't have any titles at all, but what did I know, figured I couldn't do as bad as the first puppy I bought. After bringing her home and studying more and more on line meanwhile, I found out she was a mix of American/German/Canadian and out of a blk/cream and a bi color and I had another problem child. With this pup I got a nice 1 page warranty and was impressed by it and decided the pup had to be returned with several issues and had never even seen another dog or a child in it's 11 weeks with the breeder but low and behold....that breeder simply refused to answer emails or phone calls so the written signed contract was totally useless.

Now, I thought I learned my lesson and so the next year I bought from a very important looking breeder's website out of the Country. Price of puppy was almost double from what I had been planning to spend, but their lifetime guarantees seemed the only way to go. Well, this turned out sadly also. I ended up with a pup diagnosed upon her first vet exam when she arrived here with Mega esophagus and I had to return her and was out $800.00 just for shipping but they offered a replacement. This pup arrived but with a showing guarantee his ears never went up so 10 months later they sent me another replacement and again, $800.00 in shipping. The next puppy was just plain screwy and never did housebreak in 9 months and when I took her for hips and elbows, both failed terribly along with a heart murmur issue.

So, now I had several years under my belt and learned allot since then.

Now? If I had to answer your question? Things have certainly changed for me and my opinions on the topic. Now, I would go to a small breeder concentrating on Healthy dogs with Stable temperaments, that know their dogs inside and out, did their own training and carefully matched their females to their male or outside male and I wouldn't be concerned with all the line breeding, maybe even consider an out crossing this time, and H&E's on their dogs would be a major concern, along with the Hip lines on their dogs.  And I would really check into how they care for those pups and how they socialize and what they are socialized with (cats, rabbits, all ages of humans, outside dogs, etc). You can never make up for 8-10 weeks or more of poor care or

SS

See I guess it is obvious.  Since you agree with Agar, I again disagree with you.

The last thing I look at on a person's website is the About US page.  I want to see what they have before I read their B.S. page.  I am just not that interested in somebodies B.S, autobiography. 

I also don't see someone that breed 4 times a year as a small breeder.  On 4 litters you are probably averaging around $25,000 + /yr.  Now if my hobby is to widdle boats and I sell them at craft shows, do you think I am a small time widdler if I make that much money a year on them?    It's not just the money, but the fact that 4 litters means that you have between 20 to 50 puppies produced a year.  To me a small time breeder is somebody that has one, maybe two litters a year. 

As to the responses to customers and prospective buyers, that is all relative to what you are selling.  It is funny, but most of the people on here say that they only sell to people that are knowledgable and can handle their "working dogs".  If that is the case, what do these people need to continuously call you for?    Somebody that knows what they are doing and knows what they are buying, does not want to sit on the phone with the breeder for the next 12 years.  Why would working people need to ask you advise?  Don't they have training directors, club members and master trainers to ask?  Now I could see a pet buyer being that needy and wanting to tell you how Rover just opened the door, went outside and ate his own feces. 

I just have to say, I am truly shocked at Don's answer.

I have had my puppy for almost a year now and am still in contact with the breeder on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. I'd like to think we have become friends. Some of our emails aren't even about dogs at this point but I know I can always ask any question and expect a informative answer. We usually shoot an email to eachother and the promptness sometimes depends on the importance and that's fine. If I don't email the breeder for a couple weeks he will pop in to my inbox and say "hey hows it going? Just checking in." It's nice to know he cares about his dogs and my happiness with the dog.

I also wouldn't do business with a pompus turd. Now that I'm all grown up, no dog is one I just must have so much I will suffer for, be pressured or hurried into. Always another good pup down the road. The breeders I feel the most comfortable with are the ones who call you back and spend several minutes maybe hours talking about their dogs and breedings. Anyone who will take that time truly loves and enjoys their dogs and what they are doing with them.

I will never go through a middleman or someone who doesn't really know the dog, ie worked the dog himself.

Ah I just caught myself listing what I wont do...lol.

List of important to me items____________________________

Breeder is knowledgable, sure of what they like and breedings reflect that.

When contacted the breeder gets back with you ASAP, though I do understand times before trials and shows, this is asking allot and I am understanding of that.

All dogs look healthy and well taken care of, worked and not left in a kennel to breed and feed. I don't have anything against people who house their dogs in kennels, as some people do and will point out. I just want to know that the dogs whole life is not in that kennel. I prefer breeders who are still training and trialing their dogs even after they have already titled.

Breeder must be kind and willing to do what you ask of them. No blowing off or saying yea yea and not following through.

After you send a deposit on a dog or pup, things stay just as they were before $ changed hands. If not all you are going to get, is the deposit and I will walk away without a second thought. Better out your deposit that stuck dealing with the acehole who becomes a flake once they have you, or think they have you by the...you know where.

Breeder has or can answer every question asked, if they don't know, they should offer to find out and get back to you. They should have an extensive lineup of trainers, other breeders and friends in the dog world to bounce those questions off of until they get that answer. What I am saying is, I am not an expert and they should at least know more than I do.

Clear contracts, strait forward manner and give off the feeling they are genuine. Once you talk to someone a few times you can usually gage the BS meeter. Are you getting the same answers or are things wishy washy?

4pack

I am shocked too!

I think you took my post the wrong way.  I think it is fine to keep in touch. 

My point was to look more into the dog that you are purchasing than the person selling the dog.  That doesn't mean that you go to a scumbag, but you are stuck with the dog for many years, the breeder is not going to be with you everyday for the next 10+ yrs. 

4pack

I am shocked too!

I think you took my post the wrong way.  I think it is fine to keep in touch. 

My point was to look more into the dog that you are purchasing than the person selling the dog.  That doesn't mean that you go to a scumbag, but you are stuck with the dog for many years, the breeder is not going to be with you everyday for the next 10+ yrs. 

My breeder I hope will be with me, standing behind me and his breedings for the next 10+yrs. I'm happy as a clam knowing I have a good source for the next pups I will buy. With the pressure off knowing I have a place I can go to, I have put feelers out on others pups and breeders, getting a feel for them and what they breed also.

I feel blessed for the fact I can say "hey Chris, here is a video of me training my dog. What are you seeing and what can I do to get a different drive or better result"? Poof he answers and so far he has been right on the money, knowing his bitch and the stud dogs lines inside out. He knew what my dog would be like as an adult and so far his description is right on the $. There were times I doubted, I saw other things but the dog kept developing and is just what he said he would be. It's very comforting to know what you have and I wouldn't want to trade that in for some no backing Ahole, who is too busy selling the next dog to work with me on whats going on right now.

It's great that he knows my dogs faults as well as his solids. He helps me work on those too. I did allot of bouncing around to many great trainers dabbling an a bit of everything and getting different ideas and opinions. So right now no one trainer knows my dog as well as the breeder at this point in time.